ST. CROIX — The Buccaneer Resort’s tennis facility has earned a 2026 USTA Outstanding Facility Award, placing the St. Croix venue among 41 tennis facilities nationwide recognized this year for the quality of their courts, amenities, programming and contribution to growing the sport.
The Buccaneer was selected in the Small Private Facilities category, which covers private tennis centers with between two and 11 courts that support USTA and other programs intended to expand participation in tennis.
The award was presented on August 31 during a reception at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York as part of the 2026 US Open. The Buccaneer was the only facility from the U.S. Virgin Islands among this year’s 41 honorees and one of eight selected in its category.
The United States Tennis Association evaluates nominated facilities on several factors, including the quality of court surfaces, enclosures and lighting; the way a facility is designed for its location; amenities and accessories; accessibility; and the range of tennis programs offered to youth and adults.
The Buccaneer operates eight courts on its St. Croix property, including six Plexipave courts and two Tedelgrass courts. Two are lighted for evening play.
The facility serves both resort guests and members of the St. Croix community through private instruction, group lessons, adult drills, doubles play, round robins and youth programming. The resort also offers programs designed for beginners as well as competitive players.
Director of Tennis Dena Coe said the recognition reflects more than the physical condition of the courts, crediting the people who have helped build the tennis program.
“This award belongs to all of us,” Coe said.
She thanked The Buccaneer, Warren Mosler, local parents and players, and the wider community for supporting the program. Coe said the facility’s role extends from introducing resort guests to the sport to working with established local players and exposing students to tennis for the first time.
Coe serves as an RSPA Elite Certified Teaching Professional, USTA Net Generation coach and USTA Professional Coach. The Buccaneer also identifies her as a Tennis Service Representative for the USTA Caribbean Section.
Her playing career included three Texas state championships as a junior and All-American honors at Odessa College. She later competed at the University of North Texas, where she earned all-conference recognition and helped the program win its first Southland Conference women’s tennis championship.
After working in education and school tennis, Coe returned to full-time coaching and held leadership roles at The Lakes Tennis Academy in Texas before taking over the tennis program at The Buccaneer.
The resort’s current programming includes instruction for younger players, adult beginner classes, competitive development sessions and mixed drills. Local youth also have access to designated programming at the facility.
USTA’s award process considers that type of community involvement along with the physical qualities of the facility. The organization says the awards are intended to encourage increasingly high standards in tennis construction and renovation while also recognizing facilities making meaningful contributions to the game.
The Buccaneer’s selection therefore places it alongside facilities ranging from major private clubs and public tennis centers to college complexes and newly developed facilities across the mainland United States.
The 2026 recipients were divided among small and large public facilities, small and large private facilities, educational institutions and a separate category recognizing innovative tennis venues.
Elizabeth Armstrong, president and owner of The Buccaneer, credited both Mosler and Coe with helping strengthen the resort’s tennis operation.
She said it was especially rewarding to see “young Virgin Islanders discovering tennis here” and developing skills and relationships through the sport.
The award adds another national distinction for the longstanding St. Croix resort, which has eight tennis courts among the recreational amenities spread across its 340-acre property.
For The Buccaneer, however, officials framed the USTA recognition as an achievement shared with St. Croix’s tennis community rather than simply another resort award.
The facility continues to host both visitors and local players throughout the year, giving St. Croix a nationally recognized tennis venue while providing a setting for youth development, recreational play and competitive training.
